


Once The Darkness Falls

by softyjseo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angels, But different, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Happy Ending, Heaven & Hell, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Religious Themes, Sort Of, The Void
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29467467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softyjseo/pseuds/softyjseo
Summary: There is no heaven or hell.Not like the humans believe there to be, anyway. There is no God, one entity that presents itself when needed and guides the humans down on earth through centuries of time, through their lives like a guardian they can’t see.As a Ruler of the Void, Yuta is used to spending his days in his chambers alone. When a soul claiming to be his apprentice shows up one day, everything he thought he knew changes for the better.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	Once The Darkness Falls

**Author's Note:**

> heyooo
> 
> i thought of this idea in the shower and it's fleshed itself out into this. i gotta be honest -- not betaed, only half proofread and since it's in a different style than what i usually write, it might be a bit different from what you read from me. But! I do hope you enjoy!
> 
> Yuta and Sicheng are both very dear to me, and if you think that because I write them in a ship means I love them any less or don't see them as their own people, that is on you, not me. 
> 
> Enjoy! <3

There is no heaven or hell. 

Not like the humans believe there to be, anyway. There is no God, one entity that presents itself when needed and guides the humans down on earth through centuries of time, through their lives like a guardian they can’t see. There is no place where people who have wronged others are condemned, punished to burn for eternity while they can’t attone for what they have done. 

There is no perfect place, where nothing hurts and people live in complete and utter peace. There is no heaven, nor is there hell. There is only reincarnation, the Higher Skies and the Void. Not a single human knows of these places, believes in them like they do in a sanctuary of peace like heaven. They are a well kept secret, not written about in any old books, tomes hidden away in the libraries in sections that nobody really visits. Among those who do know, there are no humans. 

Humans are too fragile, too greedy. Sometimes perhaps too sensitive, but that is a rare and welcome change. There is no human who knows for sure what happens after death, and the entities that live within the Higher Skies and the Void prefer to keep it that way. It creates authenticity, something some humans don’t possess. Because if nobody knows what happens after death, there is no use in acting that way. 

The humans who believe in heaven and hell condemn others that do wrong to hell, a place that they have only heard of in books that were written thousands of years ago, and those who don’t have different opinions of what happens after they close their eyes for the last time, take their last breaths. 

Some humans believe in reincarnation, but not in the way it actually happens. A human shall never be reborn as an animal, nor shall they be reborn in the same place twice. Reincarnation calls for a second chance, a way to live differently from the life they lived before, without knowing of it. 

The Reapers choose the destination for the souls that have passed. Yet another thing humans think of differently, nearly to a hilarious or ironic degree. Reapers are no monsters, no terrifying entities wearing cloaks and walking around with daggers. They are winged creatures, perhaps the most kind ones of all, that guide souls to where they are supposed to go. Even if a soul is sent to the Void, the Reapers try their best to prepare them for their duties in it.

The Reapers are not the monsters humans think they are. They are the bridge between life and death, those who guide lost souls to their goal, and they do so with complete and utter devotion. They are not shunned by the other entities, nor are they less respected. To some, they are of the higher ranks, to others, every entity living on the Hills of Mortem is equal. 

Yuta believes them to be equal to the other entities that form the circle of life and death. He doesn’t see them as higher or lower than perhaps a Hypnos or a Cupid. There are many like them, watching over the humans on earth, and each and every one of them has a role to fulfill, to bide by. None of them are higher or lower than the others. 

Yuta doesn’t deny that some have easier roles than others. He can’t imagine how taxing it must be to guide lost souls to their new place in the world, in the system that holds them all together. Or, how difficult it must be to make the choice of who gets a chance at reincarnation, and who gets condemned to a fitting punishment in the Void. 

The Hypnos’ have it easier, Yuta assumes. He has never done their role, but he can’t help but think that watching over humans as they sleep and rest isn’t the hardest thing to do. There are no difficult choices to be made, circumstances to outweigh and positives to find. Yet, Yuta cannot assume that they are not busy, or hard workers, for if he knows that they also help to keep the rhythm and peace. And if one entity stopped doing their role, the peace would break. 

As one of the rulers of the Void, Yuta meets the most horrible humans. If Hell and Heaven were real after all, he knows that some of the humans he meets would have been condemned to burning for eternity. But, as it is, that is not how the Void works. And Yuta has no right to judge, for that isn’t his role. The Reapers choose where the souls go, and if they choose the Void, Yuta respects that decision. 

He doesn’t judge the human souls that he meets. Some were born in terrible places, forced to do horrible things without really wanting to. Some did those horrible things, or forced others to do them, and those Yuta finds the hardest not to judge. But he doesn’t judge when he walks the Halls, nor does he judge when a soul comes and it tells their stories to him. The only time when he allows himself to judge is when he is alone, his thoughts safe from anybody reading them, or when he is accompanied by his friends.

There are terrible humans on earth. Yuta has met them, has seen their dark — sometimes even pitch black — souls, and he is always hesitant to guide them back to the Reapers for their Rejudgement Day. But, Yuta has a role to fulfill, and one of those is guiding the souls back to the Reapers once the soul has sat through their punishment. 

Sometimes, the souls return after they have been given a second chance. They get sent to the Void once more, and that is the only time Yuta and the other rulers of the Void are allowed to judge. Whether the human soul deserves a third chance at serving their punishment and another Rejudgement, or whether they are condemned to help other humans on earth for the rest of eternity. 

Yuta watches over the souls in the Void as they help humans on earth not make the same mistakes as them. Sometimes, they succeed. The souls manage to guide a human through a life without too many bad deeds, and a tally is removed from their punishment. Some are condemned to guiding ten human lives, one after another, and some only have to do one. It depends on what the soul did on earth, really, and Yuta doesn’t pretend he understands the way Reapers think. 

One of his good friends, Kun, is a Reaper, and Yuta listens when he talks, but he never manages to fully understand. There are rules Yuta will never have to follow, will never have to think about, and for that he is grateful. He can’t begin to imagine it, really, so he doesn’t try. 

Instead, he offers his friend a drink when things become too tough or a soul is particularly lost, and he listens. Kun isn’t the only Reaper among Yuta’s friends, though, and sometimes it can get difficult consoling both Kun and Johnny at once. Luckily he has help from other friends that don’t mind consoling, and that makes the job a lot easier. 

Yuta sighs to himself, his breath echoing around the large Halls of the Void. He stares ahead, eyes focused on nothing in particular. He’s rather bored, if he’s being honest, for his region seems to be doing quite well for now, and it leaves him feeling a bit restless. 

The corridors that lead to the chambers where his souls are working are quiet, too, and Yuta guesses that some have taken on a human form to assist their humans from earth. It’s not the same as reincarnation, for the humans cannot see the condemned soul, but it can make the job easier. It allows them to guide their human into the right direction not just from the Void, but from right next to them, as well.

And, it provides a sense of peace and calm when most of the souls have gone down to earth. It leaves Yuta’s region quiet, almost deserted. The only thing Yuta can hear is the soft piano music that always echoes through the Void, played by an enchanted piano in the Hall of Judgement where all the different regions break apart into different chambers. The soft music makes Yuta feel like he is going to fall asleep any second, but before he can close his eyes he hears the soft padding of bare feet against the marble flooring, making him sit upright in his chair. 

The soul that walks in takes Yuta’s breath away. The soul has a pure aura, something that is a rarity Yuta doesn’t see very often. He doesn’t remember ever seeing a soul with a pure aura walking into his chambers, and for a second he worries that perhaps Kun and Johnny have made a mistake. 

It isn’t usual for the souls to retain their human form, either. Yuta has had a few, ones that can’t let go of the life they had lived and kept up their human form until the moment they were assigned a human life to guide, but this one doesn’t seem confused. He is smiling, almost, tender and at peace, and Yuta raises an eyebrow. 

No soul comes into the Void being at peace. 

“Can I help you?” Yuta asks, his voice carrying through the emptiness of the Hall. The soul doesn’t answer, keeps on walking until he is standing a mere few feet away from Yuta. Yuta moves to sit further upright, and he eyes the soul. “What are you doing here?” 

The soul looks up at him for the first time, searching for eye contact, and Yuta gives it to him. 

“I was told to be your apprentice.” 

An apprentice usually means that one of the rulers of the Void is leaving their place. Yuta hasn’t heard anything about anyone leaving their chambers. One gets an apprentice assigned only if a ruler is leaving, and for no other reason. The last time Yuta had heard of an apprentice was when Jaemin, the youngest ruler they have, was taught by Jongin, who chose to leave his role to move up to the Higher Skies. After centuries of service, of playing his role, Jongin deserved as much. Jaemin was a devoted Ruler, and Yuta quite liked him. 

It’s something all entities get to choose. Once they want to stop, they get the choice to either reincarnate, or move to the Higher Skies. The Higher Skies surround the Hills of Mortem, and is the closest to what Yuta would assume heaven to be like. He hasn’t heard of anyone making the decision to step out of their role, so the apprentice coming to him had been a surprise. 

“I just don’t understand.” Yuta says. He takes a seat on Johnny’s couch, tugging his own pair of wings behind his back. Reapers are winged entities, much like the rulers are, and while Yuta loves his wings, they can be quite the nuisance if they want to be. 

Johnny is standing a few feet away. He too has his wings tucked behind his back, a questionable expression on his face. “And you’re sure you haven’t heard anything from the Council? Or from the others?” 

Yuta shakes his head. The Council doesn’t send word out often, but when someone steps out of their role and assigns an apprentice, usually the mentor gets a message. “Nothing. I asked around, too. Nobody knew anything.” 

Johnny hums, “And what did the soul say?” 

Yuta scoffs, “He’s not a soul, Johnny. He’s a ruler, now. He told me his name was Sicheng, and that he was sent here.” 

Johnny takes a seat in the chair across the room. He looks tired, and Yuta doesn’t blame him. Reapers make long hours, perhaps the longest out of all of them, and he can’t exactly remember when Johnny has had his last break. “I can talk to the others, see if anyone made a mistake.” 

Yuta nods, “That would help, yeah.” 

“What did you do to him, anyway?” 

Yuta raises an eyebrow. “You make it sound like I hurt him.” 

Johnny shakes his head, a chuckle leaving his lips. “Did you put him to work? What did you do? You couldn’t have sent him packing.” 

Yuta nods. He had told Sicheng that he had no idea about an apprentice, and that he would contact the Council and ask what the meaning of it all was. “I told him I would notify the Council and ask about the meaning of it all. In the meantime, he is staying in my chamber.” 

Johnny’s eyes grow wide. “They haven’t even assigned him a residence?” 

Yuta shrugs, “Apparently not.” 

Every entity, to Yuta’s knowledge, comes from a human soul that the Council sees potential in. Yuta had been one himself, centuries ago, and he knows that when the Council finds a soul that could be a potential entity, they assign them a residence on the Hills of Mortem. Yuta knows of a few potentials on the Hills, living in the houses that are vacant. A mistake from the Council is extremely rare, something Yuta has never experienced, and yet one arrives on his figurative doorstep today. 

“That’s odd. Was he at least nice?” Johnny asks. 

Yuta nods, “He didn’t say much apart from introducing himself. But, he was grateful for the place to stay.” 

“He didn’t ask any questions?” Yuta understands. Usually souls come with questions, asking what everything means and if this is the afterlife. Yuta has no idea what the afterlife is, but he is prepared to answer any questions souls may have. The fact that Sicheng didn’t have any, struck Yuta as odd as well. 

Yuta shakes his head, “None at all. Only if I was really sure that this could be a mistake.” 

Johnny sighs, closing his eyes. “Well, there’s no turning it back, anyway. He’s no longer a soul, nor is he human. They can’t turn him back into one, so the only option is to let him reincarnate if he wants to do that.” 

Yuta nods, “It would be nice to have company in my chamber, though.” 

Johnny scoffs, “Hold on a minute. You think he’s cute, don’t you?” 

Yuta couldn’t make himself lie. Not to Johnny, whose abilities are well known and refined. Yuta could say no, tell Johnny that he does not think as such, but Johnny would be able to read it in his head, anyway. “He is quite — handsome.” 

Handsome is an understatement, but Yuta doesn’t know the other. He only knows his name, and can only assume that it is his real one. But, Sicheng is handsome, that Yuta knows for sure. His chambers don’t have the best lighting, nor is it flattering, but Sicheng still managed to look stunning in it. And that, is a feat not many achieve. 

Not that Yuta gets a lot of souls in human form in his chambers. Usually, they only morph into one when they get a human assigned, and everything explained. That’s part of Yuta’s role, not the Reapers’. 

“Handsome, huh? Perhaps you would like him to stay around.” 

Yuta opens his mouth to answer, but Kun appearing in the living room makes him startle and close his mouth. Kun looks just as tired as Johnny, and Yuta takes his chance. “I should probably go home myself.” 

Johnny shakes his head, a small grin on his face, but he doesn’t press it. Kun, on the other hand, raises an eyebrow. “Did I interrupt something?” 

Yuta chuckles, “No, don’t worry. I’ll see you guys around.” 

Before either of them can stop him, Yuta materializes away and into his own living room. The place isn’t too big, but not small, either. The houses on the Hills of Mortem resemble those Yuta had seen centuries ago on earth. Perhaps they were inspired by it, perhaps not. Yuta doesn’t really mind the style, the marble and the columns. It reminds him of his chambers, his second home, and he quite likes it. 

He leaves his thoughts of Johnny and Kun to drift around his head, and instead throws the doors to his back garden open to let the sun in. The wind that blows into the house through the open doors is warm, tickling Yuta’s skin, and he grins to himself. His chamber is quiet, for now, for the souls that are redirected to it will now be laid to rest and wait until he returns, and Yuta plans not to go back for at least a few hours. 

He doesn’t particularly know what to do with Sicheng. Yuta has the ability to practice his role with ease, not any stress, but he supposes that if the Council does want him to mentor Sicheng, he will find a way to keep him occupied. Having company in his chambers that aren’t wailing souls that don’t know what to do with their humans would be a welcome change, at least, and perhaps Yuta could learn more about the earth. 

He hasn’t gone back in years, hasn’t set foot on the soil of the earth for a long time, and he wonders, sometimes. What it would be like to live there again. He can’t remember his own life as a human, but he knows it was a short life. He sighs, closing his eyes as the sun graces his skin, and for a second Yuta imagines arms wrapping around his waist, a soft kiss against the bare skin of his neck. 

It gets lonely, sometimes. It isn’t odd for entities to love, to intertwine into a relationship, and sometimes, Yuta wants. He yearns for it on some nights, when his house feels particularly empty, but he tries not to think about it too much. 

Some of his friends have found love with each other, like Johnny and Kun have, and Yuta envies them, sometimes. But, he has a role to fulfill, and the first thing he needs to do to be able to do that, is contact the Council. 

The Council’s response comes when Yuta is in his chambers. He guides a soul to a room where he opens the door, sealing it shut after it goes inside. This soul won’t be inside for long, only for two human lives, and after Yuta can guide it back to the Reapers. The Council’s response comes in the form of a messenger, one that Yuta has seen before, and he greets Jeno with a smile. 

“Jeno, I hope you come bearing news?” Visitors are rare in the Void, but not unheard of. Yuta knows that Jaemin gets visitors almost daily, a cupid by the name of Renjun and, if the rumours are right, Jeno spends a few of his days down in Jaemin’s chambers, too. 

The messenger merely smiles and nods in return. His eyes are focused on the souls standing in line, awaiting Yuta’s guidance. A handful of them look distressed, one in human form still, but with the swish of his hand Yuta turns them into a soul just like the others. Jeno doesn’t flinch, only moves his eyes away from the souls as if caught, and Yuta grins at him. “Do you?” 

Jeno nods. He looks a little out of place, a boy so bright in the chambers of the Void. Jeno is but a messenger for the Council, someone to run their errands, but he is no lesser than any of the entities that make up the circle of life and death. Yuta knows that those who live in the Council buildings are treated well, fed with the best of foods and drinking the finest of wines, so he doesn’t feel bad. “I do. Council member Baekhyun confirms that Sicheng is to be your apprentice.”

Yuta raises an eyebrow. That is, for a lack of a better word, quite the surprise. Yuta knows that Sicheng is wandering around in his chambers somewhere, can feel him as if his chambers are an extension of his body, and Yuta realizes that he should have known. From the second Sicheng opened his mouth to him, Yuta could feel him in his chambers. “Who is he replacing after finishes with his apprenticeship?” 

Jeno merely shrugs. “According to Council member Taeil, he is to form a new chamber after his apprenticeship. The humans have found a new island, and the Council doesn’t think it will be long until they inhabit it for good.” 

Yuta rolls his eyes. He knows, of course, that some parts of the earth haven’t been discovered by the humans yet. According to the humans, they have, but there are islands that are yet to be discovered. Apparently, they have found one that could be a potential place for a new civilization, and with that comes a new region. “Very well, then. Can the Council at least assign him a residence? He cannot live in my chambers.”

This time, Jeno is the one to raise an eyebrow. “Have they not notified you of this?” 

Yuta snaps his fingers to shut a wailing soul up, the cries becoming too loud. Once again, Jeno doesn’t flinch or move. He does, however, look at Yuta as if he is dumb. And if there is one thing Yuta doesn’t like to be compared to, it’s a dumb being. “No. Do I look like someone who knows?” 

Yuta’s wings flap in annoyance, the grey feathers ruffling as if someone had stroked them the wrong way, and that makes Jeno take a step back. “Apologies. The Council thought it wise for Sicheng to move onto your grounds. He needs to learn everything, not just what it takes to be a Ruler of the Void, and so he shall reside within your house until the humans have started their civilization or until the Council sees him fit to start fulfilling his duties.” 

Yuta blanks at that. He doesn’t show it, though. Instead, he snaps his fingers again and the soul starts wailing once more, startling Jeno. “Thank you, Jeno. You may leave now.”

“Thank you, Yuta.” 

Yuta simply smiles, hoping his disdain doesn’t show on his face. “Tell Jaemin I say hi.” 

Yuta watches Jeno flush from head to toe and he smiles at him. He watches Jeno walk out of the Halls, disappearing into the room with the piano, and Yuta sighs once Jeno is gone. The souls wait for him to guide them and Yuta does with practiced ease, his mind numb as he explains their punishment thoroughly and what is expected of them. 

When Yuta returns to the Halls, Sicheng is sitting in his chair. A large, marble table has appeared, books haphazardly strewn across them. Yuta doesn’t care that Sicheng is in his chair, for the being looks positively enchanting as he does so, but he is curious as to where the books come from. “What is this?” 

Sicheng doesn’t startle like Yuta had expected him to. Instead, he raises his head from where he had been looking at one of the books opened on the table with slow movements, making eye-contact with Yuta as if Yuta is not his mentor. “Books. I wanted to conduct some research.” 

Yuta sighs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He feels his robes flutter around him, his wings fluttering for the briefest of seconds. It catches Sicheng’s eye, and Yuta preens under the appreciative gaze of Sicheng’s eyes. He flutters them once more, and Sicheng’s lips form a small smile. “So you summoned all the books in the Library of Vita?” 

Sicheng scoffs with a grin, as if what Yuta had just said was the funniest thing he had ever heard. “No, merely a handful.” 

Yuta has no idea where Sicheng managed to get the courage to do such a thing. Yuta himself even feels anxious walking into the Library of Vita, let alone summon some of its books. Their worth goes far beyond what they can comprehend, for the books within the Library explain everything they will ever need to know. Not even the entities know everything, and Yuta finds himself stumped sometimes. 

Sicheng doesn’t seem to care much, though. The books he has on the table are thousands of years older than him, but he flips their worn pages as if he had bought them himself yesterday. “Do you even know how important some of those books are?”

Sicheng hums, “Naturally I do. It proved quite the hassle to get them, too.” 

Yuta closes his eyes. “How did you manage to convince the Guardians to let you take them?” 

Sicheng gives Yuta a shrug, turning back to flip through the pages of a book Yuta has only ever seen once. “I merely told them it was for my apprenticeship.” 

Yuta can only imagine the Guardians of the Library fawning over someone as pretty as Sicheng is. The Hills of Mortem and the Higher Skies are filled to the brim with people so pretty a human could only dream of having them, but Sicheng is different. Yuta can’t pinpoint why exactly he is different, but he just knows. 

A few more souls have arrived, only three, but Yuta doesn’t pay any attention to them as he walks closer to the table. He has seen some of the titles before, read some of them, too, and he summons himself another chair. He allows his wings to spread wide, his shoulders relaxing, and after a few seconds, he can feel Sicheng’s eyes on him.

It makes something inside of Yuta grow warm. He doesn’t exactly know what it is, or why it does that, but he feels this pull to Sicheng that he cannot quite explain. The fact that Sicheng is paying him this much attention, only serves to feed the unknown. 

“The Council came to deliver their answer.” 

Sicheng doesn’t look away from the book, and it irks something inside of Yuta not to have the entities’ eyes on him. He snaps his fingers, making the book fly out of Sicheng’s hand and land in his open one. Sicheng looks up with one eyebrow raised, as if interrupted in something far more important than his fate as an entity, and Yuta giggles. “Don’t you want to know?” 

Sicheng nods, “I do. I also wanted to finish reading my sentence.” 

Yuta sighs, placing the book back on the table. Sicheng doesn’t move to retrieve it. Instead, he sits back in Yuta’s chair and focuses on Yuta’s wings. “You can do that later. The Council confirmed your apprenticeship with me, so from now on I’m your mentor.” 

Sicheng hums, “Do I stay in your chambers, too? It gets quite chilly here.” 

Yuta wants to huff and roll his eyes, but Sicheng is right. When Yuta isn’t present, the chambers and his Halls can become quite cold, for the warmth that Yuta carries with him heats up his chambers. Sicheng cannot heat the Halls up just yet, can only do that once he gets his own chamber and Halls, and while Yuta wants to say that Sicheng will be staying here, he shakes his head. “You will be staying with me.” 

Sicheng raises an eyebrow. The news of him sharing a house with Yuta seems to be the only thing to surprise him, and it makes Yuta want to laugh. If Sicheng is the same here as he had been on earth, Yuta can imagine that Sicheng would have been quite popular among the humans. “With you?” 

Yuta hums. “With me.” 

“Where do you go?” Sicheng then asks, his head turning in various directions as if he will find a hidden room somewhere, suddenly appearing.

Yuta laughs, “We have houses, you know. On the Hills of Mortem.”

Sicheng stops looking around, his eyes finding Yuta’s once more, and Yuta knows he would have flushed if it hadn’t been for his self control. Yuta can already tell that no matter how long Sicheng’s apprenticeship will take, he will either leave with his heart fulfilled or a hole never to be filled again. It’s a thrilling but terrifying thought, one that settles within Yuta like a blanket, and for a second he wonders if a Cupid had somehow managed to make his way into his chambers without him noticing. 

Yuta doesn’t have to look around to know that that isn’t the case, but he also has enough experience to know that this is simply how things will be. He has had many flings with humans and residents of the Higher Skies alike, and he has grown to know himself and his own feelings through them. 

His reaction to Sicheng speaks louder than any words could ever do, and it leaves Yuta wanting. 

To run or to leap into Sicheng’s arms, he doesn’t know. 

Sicheng looks surprised, “That is new.” 

Yuta flutters his wings, turning his head to the souls awaiting him. In the time Sicheng and him have been chatting, one more has presented itself at the back of the line. “I suspect you will get a lot of new information from now on.” 

Sicheng doesn’t look scared of it when Yuta turns back to look at him. He looks determined, his eyes focused on the souls who’s aura he cannot see just yet, and Yuta realizes that the Council has definitely not made a mistake. Sicheng has potential and while Yuta has absolutely no idea exactly how long ago Sicheng’s human form passed away, he knows that Sicheng still has a lot to learn despite his potential. 

“I think so, too.” 

Days pass as Yuta falls in a rhythm with Sicheng. Strangely enough, he doesn’t mind. He gets up when the sun rises, basking his room in an orange hue. The warmth envelops him as he gets ready, puts on his robes and stretches his wings. He doesn’t need to eat, for Yuta never gets hungry, but he grabs a handful of berries before appearing in his chambers. 

Sicheng is usually earlier than he is. The soul now has full access to Yuta’s chambers, but not control, and Yuta has grown into the habit of taking a blanket with him every morning he goes, for Sicheng seems to always be cold when Yuta isn’t in the Halls. 

Yuta tells Sicheng what he does, shows him how to guide the souls to their proper room, how to deliver their fate. Fortunately, a few souls who aren’t pleased with their Judgement come, and Yuta gets to demonstrate how he deals with those, too. He shuts them up as he talks, Sicheng standing next to him and listening. 

When there are no souls to guide, no fates to explain or questions that need answering, Sicheng spends his time reading the books from the Library of Vita, new ones appearing each passing day. Yuta wonders whether Sicheng can read that fast, but he never asks. Instead, he takes a seat and listens to the soft music of the piano, the low voices echoing through the Halls and the sound of Sicheng turning a page. 

It’s calming. And different. Yuta can’t exactly say he minds, especially not when Sicheng takes his hand so that Yuta can take him back to his house on the Hills of Mortem. Sicheng is warm, his skin soft but his hands calloused. He has a human form, and with a human form come human feelings. Yuta wonders what it was that Sicheng did in his life on earth, whether his work had made the scars that litter his hands and his back. 

Again, Yuta doesn’t ask. Sicheng is the one asking questions on most days. He asks about Yuta’s life on the Hills, and Yuta answers. He doesn’t deem it necessary to be secretive with Sicheng, for when Yuta asks, Sicheng answers, too. He tells Sicheng of Johnny and Kun, of what their role is on the Hills. Sicheng becomes curious, like Yuta has suspected he would, and promises to take him to them. He doesn’t visit Johnny or Kun in either of their chambers often, for the chambers where the Reapers work are even more dull than the Void, but Yuta supposes he can make an exception for Sicheng. 

Sicheng is calm and quiet when he reads. He doesn’t say much apart from a few words muttered out loud, and Yuta listens. He keeps himself busy with the souls, pulls Sicheng away from his books when there is something new to learn, and after a few weeks Sicheng seems to understand everything a bit more. He has much, much more to learn, but Yuta doesn’t mind.

He finds he likes having Sicheng around. Not just in the Halls, in his chamber, but also in his house. Sicheng felt right at home from the very first day, and Yuta likes it. They speak in the evening, sitting on Yuta’s balcony as they look at the stars. Sicheng asks questions that Yuta doesn’t have the answer to on some nights, but he tells Sicheng that he will get the answers one day if he keeps searching for them. 

The questions he hadn’t asked on his first day, when he had first walked into Yuta’s Halls, he asks now. And Yuta answers, for he doesn’t want to hold anything back. He notices that he completely bears his soul to Sicheng when they are a few months in, and Sicheng has started to do the same.

Sicheng gets along with Johnny and Kun swimmingly, and even makes friends with a few other entities. Ten, a Cupid, has come to Yuta’s house a few times now, and while it stirs ugly jealousy in Yuta’s gut, he doesn’t say a word. He keeps his mouth shut and watches. He shows Sicheng the Hills, the lovely places to go, and he even shows him the Pit, a place Yuta hasn’t been in centuries. 

Sicheng stares into the Pit the first time he sees it. He turns his head to look at Yuta, as if making sure that he isn’t seeing things, before he looks back in the Pit again. It’s earth, in all its glory, and Yuta waits as Sicheng watches. 

They go back home that night, and Yuta notices that Sicheng is more withdrawn. Yuta knows that it might be because of the Pit, and so he doesn’t ask. He keeps to himself, wishes Sicheng a good night's sleep, and goes for a fly. 

He comes home when the sun is slowly coming up, and he guides Sicheng into the Void once more. The way Sicheng handles the souls changes from that moment on, and Yuta feels it. His chambers are like his veins, and he can feel the changes within. Even if those changes are not in his own body, or his own doing. 

On the night of the sixth month of Sicheng’s apprenticeship, Yuta finds Sicheng sitting on the roof of their house. Yuta stays quiet for a moment, watches as Sicheng eyes the stars, and he sighs. “Are you alright?” 

Sicheng doesn’t startle. Instead, he turns his head. For a second, Yuta thinks he will lie. That he will nod and pretend that nothing is wrong, that he is fine. Sicheng shakes his head, though, and Yuta takes that as a sign to step forward. 

The sun is setting already, her glow disappearing behind the Hills, and Yuta bends down to sit next to Sicheng. His house looks out over a lake, figures wading through the water. Yuta has never been much of a swimmer, his wings far too difficult to dry, but the sight of the sun reflecting on the water is a breathtaking sight. 

“I can’t remember much— of earth.” 

Yuta takes a breath. He had seen this conversation coming, but he is surprised that Sicheng chose this moment. Perhaps in the future, when a hundred years have passed on earth and Sicheng is deemed ready to practice his role alone. Yuta has heard stories of apprentices running to their old mentors, even more confused than in those years they had spent at their sides. Then again, Sicheng isn’t like any other. 

“That’s normal.” Yuta answers. He knows that it isn’t what Sicheng wants to hear, but he can’t say much else. He doesn’t remember much of his own life on earth, either. It has been longer for him, though, than for Sicheng. 

Sicheng hums, “I expected as such. And for some reason, that still doesn’t make it any easier to comprehend.” 

Yuta hums. He reaches out to touch Sicheng’s shoulder, squeezing it when Sicheng doesn’t move away. He flaps his wings, once, twice, and Yuta watches as a small smile appears on Sicheng’s face because of it. Sicheng has always liked Yuta’s wings, has spent hours petting them as they lounged in the sun. Yuta counts those hours as some of the best of his time here on the Hills of Mortem, although he doesn’t tell Sicheng that. 

“They fear that if we were to remember, our judgements might not be right.” Yuta answers with the same words his mentor had spoken to him, all those centuries ago. Yuta doesn’t know the name he goes by now, for he had chosen reincarnation after stepping out of his role, but Yuta remembers the face he had worn in his chambers. Always kind, nice and forgiving, but never too much.

“Who is they?” Sicheng asks. 

Yuta shrugs, for he doesn’t know the answer to that question, either. “Those who formed the circle of life.” 

Yuta can’t blame Sicheng for the way he looks unsatisfied with his answer. He is glad that Sicheng doesn’t comment on it, though, for Yuta can’t say much else on the topic. He can only squeeze Sicheng’s shoulder again, hoping to comfort him the way he seems to need it. 

“Thank you.” Sicheng whispers into the darkening sky. His voice is quiet, almost too much so, but Yuta hears him loud and clear. The wind makes Sicheng’s hair dance softly, and Yuta finds the urge to kiss him creep in his mind. He pushes it away, though, and stands up. 

“Always, Sicheng.” And he leaves Sicheng sitting there, his heart tugging at him to stay. Yuta doesn’t listen and makes his way to bed, dropping himself onto the satin sheets. He sighs into the quiet room, the cool air of the night creeping through his open doors. Yuta wonders what it will be like once Sicheng leaves again, when he takes Yuta’s hand for the last time as they travel to the Void. 

He doesn’t want to think about it, the thoughts far too depressing, but they don’t stop. Yuta imagines falling asleep alone, without the knowledge that Sicheng lays down the hall. He can’t imagine not hearing Sicheng’s beautiful laugh, seeing his eyes crinkle, and Yuta knows that he is a goner. 

He closes his eyes, the noise of Sicheng getting off of the roof the only one he focuses on. Despite the fact that he doesn’t need sleep like humans do, he forces himself to embrace the darkness that comes to take him. 

Another handful of weeks pass easily, like the flow of a river. Yuta spends his days teaching Sicheng, talking to him and even going as far as allowing for him to guide a soul himself. Yuta stays with him, of course, and helps when Sicheng fumbles, but the soul ends up in the right place, and Yuta beams with pride just as Sicheng does, too.

With the weeks that pass, so come more nights which Sicheng spends on the roof. Yuta visits him every now and again, bringing him drinks and sometimes food. Yuta can tell that something is bothering Sicheng, but he doesn’t ask. He promises himself to wait for Sicheng to come to him, and then he will listen.

When Yuta returns from Johnny and Kun’s place one night, he expects to find Sicheng on the roof. He doesn’t call out his name as he moves throughout the house. He stays quiet as he makes his way into his room, the moonlight the only guide he has in the dark.

Sicheng lounges on his bed, his arms behind his head to keep it up as he lays on the mattress. To Yuta, he looks ethereal. The moonlight shines brightly on half of his body, illuminating his gorgeous tan skin. He is smiling, something Yuta hasn’t seen Sicheng do for the past weeks, and it’s rejuvenating. Yuta likes it when Sicheng smiles. 

It seems like something has changed. Sicheng had been confident and calm when he first entered Yuta’s chambers so long ago, and that confidence had dwindled a bit as the months went by. Yuta had noticed it, but he had not found a way to make it stop. To reverse it. For he much preferred the confident Sicheng and not the one who spends his days in his own head. 

Yuta likes Sicheng either way, but as he sees the confidence that Sicheng had on the first day return back to his face, he feels joy in his chest. 

“To what do I owe the honor?” Yuta asks, making his way over to the chair next to the opened doors. The warm night wind passes through, heating Yuta’s face. He is grateful for the darkness for it hides the blush on his face, one that he has not felt for a long time. He pets his hands across his robes, straightening out the folds from his movements, but does not make eye contact with Sicheng. 

Sicheng merely chuckles, a sound that has Yuta’s heart beating faster in his chest. “I am merely visiting.” 

Yuta raises an eyebrow, moving his gaze up to find Sicheng already looking at him. His gaze is fierce and Yuta watches as he moves to sit up. “Visiting?” 

Sicheng hums, “I visited Dejun today.” 

Yuta closes his eyes. Sicheng visiting another realm is not a surprise, for he had asked for a day off that morning, but Yuta wonders why Dejun. The last time he saw Dejun must have been years ago, the very last time he set foot in the Cupid Realm. Yuta has always been free to move to whichever realm he wants, but the Cupid Realm is one he doesn’t visit often. Dejun leads a particular region of the Cupids, and is an entity that overflows with nothing but love. He can convince a rock to find a soulmate, if he tries, and Sicheng visiting Dejun can only mean a handful of things. 

For a fleeting moment, Yuta fears Sicheng will tell him about someone else he has met, perhaps in the Higher Skies, away from the Hills of Mortem. But, he pushes those thoughts away, and focuses back on Sicheng sitting on his bed. “Dejun? How so?” 

Sicheng shrugs, “I had some questions, and Renjun told me that Dejun would be willing to answer them.” 

Yuta hums, nodding. “Did he answer the questions?” 

Sicheng doesn’t nod, nor does he shake his head. “Not particularly. He was pretty vague, left many questions unanswered, but that’s okay.” 

Sicheng shifts, allowing for the moonlight to caress his face, and Yuta can barely bite his lip in time to prevent himself from saying something. He wants to say that Sicheng should kiss him, that he has permission to kiss him, but he doesn’t. Sicheng is his apprentice, Yuta is all he really has as of now, and it feels wrong to even think about it. 

Instead, Yuta stands up. Sicheng’s eyes flash with something Yuta can’t place, and he feels guilt grip at his throat. He doesn’t pay any mind to it, though, and spreads his wings. Johnny and Kun are probably cuddling up to one another, their wings surrounding their two intertwined bodies as they sleep and spend the night talking, and Yuta feels the jealousy and envy curl hot in his chest. 

He wants to talk to Dejun. He wants to go and ask what Sicheng wanted to ask, but he doesn’t. He stays in his bedroom and changes the subject to talk about Sicheng’s day, to tell him what he has missed in the Void and which books arrived for him today. Sicheng has somehow managed to convince the Guardians of the Library of Vita that he is a good soul, for he is able to ask for any book he wishes for. Yuta doesn’t blame the Guardians, for who could possibly say no to that face?

Apparently, Yuta can, for he ignores the disappointment in Sicheng’s eyes. But, Sicheng takes it in stride and talks. He answers all the questions Yuta asked, provides commentary about Yuta’s own day and doesn’t leave until Yuta tells him it would be wise to get some sleep. He leaves reluctantly, hovering at the door, and Yuta pretends he doesn’t notice. 

He listens as Sicheng walks through the house, his bare feet against the marble as he moves to his own bedroom. It hurts to let him go, but Yuta does it. He doesn’t run after Sicheng like he wants to, falls on top of his bed and lets out a loud sigh. 

Sicheng doesn’t go to the roof. Yuta stays in his room, wanders out to the balcony and watches as the sun rises behind the Hills. He wishes for Sicheng’s arms to wrap around his waist as he stands there, awaiting for the time he can return to his chambers once more. His wings flap in the wind, the warm breeze hitting his skin, and he wishes for days spent with Sicheng in the sun. 

He wishes for Sicheng’s nimble fingers to touch him, to light every inch of skin on fire with just his touch, and the thoughts make Yuta want to flee the house. He can sense Sicheng in the house still, and he silently slips away. He will be back to get Sicheng so that they can start the day together, but for now Yuta allows himself to wander along the paths of the Hills. 

They may live on the Hills of Mortem, but everything around him is very much alive. The trees bloom perhaps even more than those who live on earth, and Yuta plucks an apple from a low hanging branch as he walks. His robes flutter in the wind, his white hair almost long enough for him to tie up in a ponytail. Perhaps he will grow it out, but only if Sicheng likes it.

Yuta shakes his head at the thought. He forces himself to think of other things instead, of the soul he guided yesterday that was sent to the Void for a murder they had done on earth. Yuta has no right to judge as he walks his Halls, but he is free to do so once he leaves. He thinks of the soul that must have been guided to either reincarnation or the Higher Skies, the one that his soul had brutally murdered, and his heart breaks.

Human life is such a fragile thing, one that can be so easily used for the worst, and humans tend to be greedy enough to do so. Yuta doesn’t miss his human life, but he does miss the mortality of it, sometimes. Being immortal can be lonely, and once Sicheng leaves it will be just him again. Perhaps, if Sicheng leaves, Yuta can think about reincarnation. He knows that his friends will disagree, will try and stop him, and thinking of being back on earth gives Yuta a bitter taste, but it is something to think about. 

When he returns to the house, Sicheng is waiting for him in the hall. He silently takes Yuta’s arm and Yuta brings them to his chambers, where souls are already waiting for them in a line and centuries old books are lined up on the table Yuta only kept around for Sicheng. He guides one soul himself before he decides Sicheng should have a chance, and soon enough they are both at work. Yuta doesn’t get time to think about anything else for a while, and for that he is grateful. 

Sicheng doesn’t say another word about that night, and so Yuta follows. They go about their days, surrounded by the books Sicheng reads or the souls needing guidance, and when they go home they talk. Sicheng asks questions and Yuta listens, mostly, but every now and then Yuta is the one to ask questions.

Sicheng doesn’t remember anything about his life on earth, which is normal, but Yuta finds himself wondering what Sicheng must have been like on earth. Was he a nobleman? A warrior, perhaps? Or a servant, a merchant or any of the other roles humans take up as they grow old. 

Yuta takes Sicheng along with him when he decides to visit Johnny and Kun, and Sicheng manages to get along with them just fine. He talks to Kun alone on several occasions, leaving Yuta and Johnny to talk by themselves, and for a while Yuta can withhold any questions, his curiosity ever growing. He doesn’t ask Sicheng about it, nor does Sicheng speak about it. 

And so, Yuta pretends he doesn’t notice it. 

Instead, when it happens, Yuta speaks to Johnny. They talk about their days, about their roles, and Johnny tells story after story about the different souls he meets. Yuta listens, hums when he is supposed to and laughs when he can, but his eyes always travel to find Sicheng standing on Johnny and Kun’s balcony, the two of them engrossed in their own conversation. 

Yuta should have known that Sicheng would come to him again. After a year has passed on the Hills, Sicheng comes to Yuta with flowers. They are soft white, yellow roses intertwined with the white ones, and Yuta thinks it’s beautiful. 

A year may have passed on the Hills, but Sicheng is nowhere near ready to take his own chambers, to guide his own souls, and Yuta finds the morbid part of him enjoying that knowledge. He doesn’t want Sicheng to leave his house, ever, and perhaps that feeling should have been a sign that he would not be able to resist Sicheng again. 

Sicheng kisses him in Yuta’s bedroom, his lips as soft as Yuta had expected them to be. Yuta doesn’t pull back. Instead, he puts the flowers down on his bed and allows for Sicheng to pull him closer by the waist. He lights up from the inside out, his wings happily fluttering behind him, and when Sicheng reaches over to touch one, Yuta moans. 

Sicheng takes him. He is gentle, his caress as loving as can be, and Yuta drowns in it. The feeling of Sicheng’s oil slick fingers inside of him make his toes curl in the best ways, and Yuta is sure he will never get enough of the feeling of Sicheng’s lips on his skin. 

Sicheng’s touches may be gentle, but once Yuta can feel all of him inside, it falls away. Sicheng whispers words into Yuta’s ear that have him blushing, words he hopes to hear again but only from Sicheng’s lips. Yuta feels the pleasure everywhere, from the points of his feathers to the hairs on his head, and he can’t remain quiet no matter how much he wants to. 

He allows for Sicheng to take him, again and again, and by the time the sun rises in the sky, they are spend and laying together much like yearlong lovers do. Yuta has his head on Sicheng’s chest, his eyes closed, and as the birds start to sing their songs of love and nature, he feels Sicheng’s hands on his back. 

He caresses Yuta’s wings, the soft murmur of his voice as he speaks enough to make Yuta feel like he is the only being alive. He feels special, like the sun in the sky is the only thing that is above him, and for a while they rest together. They whisper in soft voices, giggle with one another as time passes, and before Yuta knows it hours have passed and they haven’t gotten out of bed yet. 

“Stay.” Sicheng says when Yuta tries to pull away, and Yuta listens. From the very first moment he met Sicheng, he had known that he would not be able to say no to him. And, Sicheng proves this theory effortlessly, tugging Yuta back into bed. 

Yuta knows that the Council might send him a notice for the fact that he isn’t there to guide the souls he needs to, but he supposes they can wait. Besides, if they send Jeno, Yuta will just talk to him for a little bit and send his apologies. The Council isn’t as harsh as they sound, after all, and Yuta has always been a perfect Ruler. 

So, he allows for Sicheng to wrap his arms around him. He relaxes in his hold as Sicheng kisses him once more, and Yuta finds himself melting to the touch. He feels sticky from the oil, but with a wave of his hand it’s gone. Sicheng chuckles, digging his nose into Yuta’s hair. “I love it when you do that.” 

Yuta giggles, “Do what?” 

“Use your powers like that.” Sicheng answers, placing a kiss against the top of Yuta’s hair. Yuta rolls his eyes but he doesn’t object, snapping his fingers as he thinks of grapes. They appear on the bedside table, and Sicheng laughs this time. 

“I thought you could only do that in your Halls.” 

Yuta hums, but shakes his head. “I can do it in my home and my Halls. I can’t do it outside of those places.” 

Sicheng digs his nose further down, his hot breaths on Yuta’s neck making him shiver, and Yuta grins to himself. He can feel only warmth as the sun lights up the room, as Sicheng’s hands move around his body, and it is wonderful. Yuta arches his back as Sicheng moves them, and he allows himself to fall into Sicheng’s touch once more. 

They don’t leave the room for hours on end, wrapped up in one another. Yuta is sure he hears Kun at his front door, but he doesn’t open the door. Perhaps he is there to make sure everything is alright, for Yuta has not guided their souls into the Void, Yuta doesn’t know, and he doesn’t move to find out, either.

It’s lazy and worth the scolding Johnny gives them the day after, when he shows up unannounced in Yuta’s chamber just as Yuta is lounging on Sicheng’s lap, but Johnny looks happy for them. Kun comes over only a few hours later, once Yuta has cleared up the rest of the souls that had been waiting, and he offers his congratulations.

Yuta watches Sicheng smile at Kun knowingly, and Yuta fears with a warm heart that he has Kun to thank for the feeling of Sicheng’s lips against his. He notes to give Kun a nice bottle of wine from the Higher Skies before shushing him away with the promise that Sicheng will still get the best apprenticeship, and that he will learn. 

Yuta spends the rest of the day guiding souls, Sicheng right behind him, and when the chamber is empty, he sits on Sicheng’s lap as he reads. He spreads his wings and flies upon Sicheng’s requests, and promises to teach him once he gets his own wings, too. 

It takes a few more years but before Yuta knows it, one of the Council members shows Sicheng to his very own chambers. He gets his own Halls, his own rooms and his own powers that come with the responsibility. 

He doesn’t need Yuta to get to the Void anymore, but he still sees him off every day and picks him up when he decides the day is done. Yuta allows for Sicheng to take him home after he finishes every single day. The hours spent apart are long and sometimes, Yuta wanders his way into Sicheng’s chambers, but they manage. 

They return home together every single day, and Yuta doesn’t feel the loneliness anymore. He doesn’t even think about reincarnation anymore, not now that he has his person right next to him for the rest of eternity. When Sicheng found out that Yuta had thought about such things, he had rushed off and slept at Kun’s and Johnny’s for a night. It had been the first time in years since Yuta had slept alone and he had missed Sicheng’s arms around him, but the morning after Sicheng returned and they had talked. 

Sicheng likes the knowledge of eternity and while he is fairly new to it still, it doesn’t surprise Yuta. And, even though he has lived in eternity for centuries, Yuta finally grows to love it, too. He grows to love the rhythm they fall into, but also the spontaneous ideas that Sicheng comes up with. They go to the lake, they swim together and start to grow a garden at the back of the house. 

They visit the Higher Skies from time to time, and go back to look at earth whenever Sicheng has more questions. Sometimes Sicheng gets lost in the Library of Vita, but he always comes back to Yuta with either the brightest smile on his face or a tale to tell, and Yuta is always willing to listen.

Yuta finally understands the way Johnny and Kun have always behaved. He finds solace in Sicheng, too, when the souls in his chambers are particularly bad. He finds comfort in Sicheng’s touches as the sun goes down and he knows that Sicheng finds comfort in Yuta’s touches, too. 

They talk and laugh, have sex under the moonlight or as the sun rises, and Yuta feels whole. They fly together once Sicheng gets his wings, and Yuta doesn’t think he has ever seen something so beautiful before in his life. 

“Yuta?” 

Yuta doesn’t move, but he opens his mouth. “Up here.” 

He listens as Sicheng walks up the stairs and enters their bedroom. Sicheng’s old room has turned into a room where he paints, sometimes. They have a few portraits of Yuta around the house now, and Sicheng is currently working on a portrait for Johnny and Kun. Yuta thinks he can watch Sicheng paint for hours on end without getting bored, and he has done so on many occasions. When time allows it, Sicheng gets lost in either his books, paintings or Yuta, and Yuta is more than willing to help him navigate his way back when it’s time. 

He feels arms wrap around his waist, and Yuta grins to himself. The sun is the only thing to see him smile as his back is turned to Sicheng, but the feeling of his arms around him are more than enough to keep Yuta in place. He wants to see Sicheng’s face, but he rather likes this feeling, too.

He moves his wings downward so that Sicheng can scoot closer, and he feels soft lips on the nape of his neck. He shivers pleasantly, Sicheng’s chuckle filling his ears right after. “Hello, love.” 

Sicheng’s voice is magnificent, especially in the early mornings after they sleep some time away, and Yuta can listen to it for the rest of eternity. It soothes him to sleep at night and wakes him up in the morning, and Yuta can’t remember a day in which he woke up feeling anything else other than content. 

“Hello, dear.” 

Sicheng smells like grapes, like sweet wine, and Yuta knows he comes from the Cupid Realm. The scent the Realm has carries with everyone who enters, and while Yuta much prefers Sicheng’s own scent, he has found he rather likes Sicheng when he smells so sweet. Sicheng has made his own friends among the entities, from messengers to Cupids, but Yuta is the one he comes home to every night. Yuta relishes in that knowledge, and he knows that Sicheng does, too. 

Yuta has his own friends and they don’t spend every waking moment together, but the moments they do spend together are the best ones Yuta has ever experienced. The list of favorite things about Sicheng grows and grows, and according to Sicheng, the other boy fears that his list of favorites about Yuta will never stop growing. 

“You look beautiful, did you know that?” 

Yuta smiles. He finally turns around, greeting Sicheng with a swift kiss. “I did, but thank you, dear. You look rather ravishing yourself.” 

Sicheng merely grins, one that reminds Yuta of all those years ago when Sicheng showed up on his doorstep. “Do you fancy a fly?” 

Yuta has never been able to say no to Sicheng, and so they take off together. Sicheng doesn’t let go of his hand as they go, flying above the lake in circles, and Yuta grins. He feels more alive than he thinks he could ever feel on earth, and when Sicheng flashes him yet another smile and leans in to kiss him in mid-air, Yuta can take a guess as to what humans believe heaven to be like.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed it!! please leave a comment and a kudos, they are highly appreciated!!!!  
> i hope you have a wonderful day, a wonderful night and a good week <3
> 
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